This is not a Windows/MacOS debate, I know these posts invoke debates that are mostly tedious. A friend of mine is on the verge of converting (pun intended)! He’s considering ditching his MacBook Air for a Windows laptop. I suggested he hold off until the next macOS release in September. For those who have tried the beta, do you think Apple has or is likely to squash the lingering bugs and improve VoiceOver enough to make the wait worthwhile? Or should he just go ahead, sell the MacBook, and make the switch to Windows now?
By Maldalain, 19 August, 2025
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Comments
Only he can make that decision.
This is particularly true since we have no idea what bugs aggravate him enough that he's considering selling, or if there are other considerations, e.g. he's tried a Windows screen reader and just likes that better. I mean, what do you expect us to say, exactly? It's up to him.
I mean, here's an example. SNR gets talked about a *lot* here. I use FIrefox. So I don't have it. I'm not saying there aren't occasional issues with Firefox either, but there were issues on Windows too. So if SNR is something that's really driving him nuts, but he doesn't want to use another browser, OK, then he'll still want to sell assuming that doesn't get fixed.
But you wanted advice, and by the gods, I'm here to help. SO let me sum up the collective wisdom you'll get.
No. He should sell immediately. The Mac is terrible because Apple doesn't care about the Mac, Voiceover, or blind people. IOS *used* to be amazing and it's still better than the Mac but it's also pretty terrible too. Everything is awful, and we're all going to die. Tell him to hold a wake and a funeral for Apple before he sells it. It will be very symbolic.
There's a second option
I'm not sure what mac your friend has but he could always beta test the new version if he doesn't want to wait until september and make the decision faster as to cell it now or hold off and wait.
We have to know his use…
We have to know his use cases to even start formulating an opinion.
My advice: If you switch, don't jump off the deep end right away
Like others have said, it really depends on his use case. One thing I might add is that when switching platforms, I wouldn't recommend immediately selling his Mac until he has fully made the transition. As the process of switching from one platform to another can sometimes come with unexpected challenges and complications, he may find that he'll need, or wish he had, the Mac to help in things like data migration or learning a screenreader using one he's already fairly familiar with.
If you're asking if there is…
If you're asking if there is going to be a significant improvement in how voiceover operates or if long standing bugs will be corrected then, the answer is, no. It's still voiceover with all its quirks and, in some cases, its advantages.
I'd say, waiting for the new release of OS 26 won't make a significant difference. It will still be voiceover, warts and all.
Thanks Oliver and All
I will send him the link of the post to read everyone's comments.
virtual machine as a option
Hi, he could always install vmware fusion and install Windows 11 on it. If the Mac supports it.
Native Remote Accessibility
The really big improvement for me is the ability to control another Mac running Tahoe using VoiceOver with Apple's native screen sharing tools. Audio is supposed to work, though I think it's only supported if the two Macs are connected to the same network and/or you port forward. When I was testing with my friend over the Internet by entering Apple IDs, sound didn't work, but VoiceOver support was excellent! You can disable all VoiceOver sounds and visuals on the remote Mac which is useful if you're helping sighted people. VoiceOver can also be configured to change the pitch of the voice or use a completely different one to help you distinguish between controlling your own system and the remote one.
I know I've had major problems in the past with Apple not making significant changes to VO, but this is a really big one that has the potential to open all kinds of opportunities. If only Microsoft would do the same thing with Narrator and Quick Assist in Windows 11.
Agree regarding screenshare…
Agree regarding screenshare on 26. You do have to set the target machine up correctly. I've got my mac mini in a utility cupboard. The lovely thing is that voiceover works on the local machine rather than on the remote machine making responsiveness much better.
It's unfortunate that Jump Desktop no longer seems to transmit voiceover speech from the remote machine. That was a good set up and might have been, in this case, of having a windows box and a mac, with the best of both worlds.
I know there is a windows app for Mac for remote, but I've not tried it.
VM, in my experience, is flaky.